Time for another railroad thread [Archive]

kb2vxa

01-20-2014, 04:35 AM

PC: Pretty Crappy. Conrail: Conjob. Conrail Quality? Make your own decision. This is my all time favorite locomotive at South Amboy, NJ lit by fuzees, growing up a few blocks from the Pennsylvania mainline now the Amtrak North East Corridor shared by New Jersey Transit Trenton main had a good deal of influence. Hanging out at the now removed North Rahway (NJ) station only used during commuter rush by Merck employees watching plenty of passenger and freight traffic I was in hog... er... train heaven.

Now since it's Amtrak, the Conrail (CSX/NS Shared Assets) Trenton Main is the old Reading road through South Plainfield behind Sherbin's Diner there's a better train watching spot sitting at a table next to a rear window. There's plenty of freight traffic to make the meal go cold if you're a foamer, if not eat up and take your camera outside. Bring your scanner or HT and listen for the EOT, FRED won't tell you when a train is coming.

W3WN

01-20-2014, 08:19 AM

Of potential interest to you railfans...

"Radio Free Bob" WC3O is putting together a trip to ARRL HQ on 6 - 8 March. Trip departs at about 7:30 AM on the 6th on the #42 Pennsylvanian, eastbound; connects in Philadelphia to the #143 Northeast Regional, northbound; return trip on Saturday is via the same trains, er, returning.

For more info, email radiofreebob@gmail.com

...no, I'm not going. Not on ARRL DX SSB weekend!

N2NH

01-20-2014, 08:46 AM

Inspired by N2NH's many sig-line and avatar pics.

Shot of PC locos at Collinwood (Cleveland) Yard. I wonder how many of these made their way south to the Massillon and Cleveland Rwy stretch then through Massillon proper back in the day. It's a bike trail now but as I ride it, I think I hear the sounds of a non-turbo'ed EMD 567 notching up behind me.

Thank you. That's a very nice shot of the Penn Central E-8s or F-7s. Can't tell from the angle. I remember traditional railfans when I was a kid would comment on the PC logo. They said it looked like two worms mating. :lol:

Here is a PennCentral Metroliner entering the station in Baltimore, MD. This was on the Northeast Corridor line that stretches from Boston, MA to Richmond, VA via New York and Washington D.C. They were the prototype for Amtraks Amfleet cars. These were Electric units (Catenary) and typically only ran between NYC and Washington.

http://i41.tinypic.com/2nv5v69.jpg

Penn Central ran the FL-9 they inherited from the New Haven too...

http://i41.tinypic.com/14ju4pe.jpg

The E-7A units in my sig line are New York Central and were the engines used on the 20th Century Limited and Empire State Express when they switched to diesel units.

NQ6U

01-20-2014, 11:40 AM

K7SGJ

01-20-2014, 12:06 PM

Here's my favorite, a Western Pacific EMD GP-7:

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5124/5281534745_2c05b8b8f6_b.jpg

Why is such a mundane locomotive my favorite, you ask? Because I once actually got to drive one!

Pardon me boy, is that the............................................... ..............aw never mind.

NQ6U

01-20-2014, 01:01 PM

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans were camping and Roy awoke to a mountain lion mauling his new cowboy boots
outside the tent. The lion ran off, but Roy vowed to get him. After hunting for several days, he finally returned to camp
with the dead lion strapped to his saddle. When Dale saw this she started singing "Pardon me Roy, is that the
cat that chewed your new shoes?"

W9JEF

01-20-2014, 01:24 PM

My Grandpa started out as a railroad telegrapher.
Family legend has it, that he could send and receive
different messages at the same time.

I grew up about a block from the Green Bay & Western tracks,
about a half mile from their RR yard. We could hear the whistles.
Got used to the sound of RR cars bumping each other.
We used to walk through an open field and hop onto
slow-moving freight cars, as they were being shuffled
by the diesel-electric switch engines [do not try--one kid lost his life]
You could hear the revving up, and the "ker-chunk" of the relays.
There was a six-story grain elevator in sight from our front porch.

Next to CB&W yard was WRX--Western Refrigerator Line Company, where my dad worked on the cars,
http://www.greenbayroute.com/1991323.jpg

A common sight, looking through the open field beyond our yard:

http://www.greenbayroute.com/1940255.jpg

N2NH

01-22-2014, 02:55 PM

Last time I looked... Warren had posted about a New Haven EP-4 (Passenger) with this pic:

11493

And I was about to compaer that Electric Loco with the nearly identical New Haven EF-3 (Freight) and the Burlington Northern Little Joe. I've heard that the EP-4 and the EF-3 were the inspiration for the Pennsy GG-1 and the BN Little Joe as shown below:

11494

11495

kb2vxa

01-22-2014, 08:15 PM

You grabbed that before the Island barfed and the post was deleted. Why did the file name change? My filing system is railroad, loco number, manufacturer number or class, @ location, year. That's in the Bronx, don't recall the year and too lazy to search the archive where it resides. My last post about the PRR No.800 first of the Metroliners and the first high speed train in America disappeared too. No big deal, the PC successor remains.

On edit: While doing the morning e-mail where I send photos to my friend in Edinburgh, whom I may add became a casual railfan when I sent him a couple of "blockies" as he calls box cabs and such, I came across the photo in question. The correct file name is New Haven No.361 EP-4 @ Bronx NY. Not quite so lazy this morning, here's the Metroliner, this time if you download it I hope the file name doesn't change. Unfortunately I don't know where it is file system or no, some of my early stuff is like that having been scrounged from an inferior web site.

N8YX

01-23-2014, 05:43 AM

Time for some down under EMD goodness:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDa3gOJaBcc

kb2vxa

01-23-2014, 03:26 PM

Somebody goofed, EMD and EMD Australia locomotive designations don't run that way. The ML2 B Class broad gauge dual cab "bulldog nose" locomotive was made by Clyde Engineering under license from GM EMD (General Motors Electro Motive Division) for Victorian Railways (V Line). In 1996 it was taken over by Evans Deakin Industries, in 2001 Evans Deakin was taken over by Downer Group to form Downer EDi Hey, check out the Motorola mic!

W3WN

01-23-2014, 03:42 PM

N2NH

01-23-2014, 07:55 PM

I'm stealing a couple from my brother's web site... don't tell anyone (shhhhh!)...
11507
The last steam engine to run on the Long Island RR, at Jamaica, NY, fan trip in 1967. That locomotive is the Black River & Western #60 based in Flemington NJ.
11508
Same year, I believe the same trip, from Montauk NY:
1150911510

Wow. Those are beauties. I didn't know they ran any steam at all that late.

Fairbanks-Morse C-Liner in Classic NH Livery (Pre-McGuiness)

http://berkshirehills.route.tripod.com/nh793.jpg

New Haven GP-9 McGuiness Livery

http://www.nhrhta.org/images/photo9.jpg

New Haven Alco FA-1 Orange-Green Livery

11511

NQ6U

01-23-2014, 08:00 PM

The most frequently seen locomotive of my youthful rail fanning on the San Francisco peninsula:

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/tr_sp3028.jpg

The Fairbanks-Morse Tranmaster in SP "Bloody Nose" livery pulling the San Jose-San Francisco commute [sic] trains. At the time, I didn't realize how uncommon this loco was.

W9JEF

01-24-2014, 11:16 AM

The train I took to Chicago (1957) to take the FCC 1st 'phone test

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/13/CNW-Greenbay-Flambeau_400-Aug_1969.jpg

Shown at the Green Bay station. Had breakfast in the dining car.
Thought that 50 cents for a grapefruit was outrageous.

W3WN

01-24-2014, 11:22 AM

I need to grab a camera and stake out the Wheeling & Lake Erie, once the weather gets a little better.

I've observed that they've occasionally run engines from the Rio Grande on the line. Don't know if they're leased, or if they bought them but hadn't repainted them yet.

W3WN

01-24-2014, 11:53 AM

OK... I'm going to try to link to these...

When we lived in New Hope, PA, my brother & I were volunteers on the New Hope & Ivyland. I wasn't really into it (I liked taking pictures more, and I have to find all those, there buried but I do have them, I think), and dropped out after a few months. David stayed until there was a big problem between the volunteers & the new owners (McHugh Brothers), and most of the volunteers left en masse for the Black River & Western across the Delaware River. (Which is how the Brill Doodlebug ex PRR 4666 got from one to the other, but I digress)

During that time, the workhorse of the NH&I was ex-CNN 4-6-0 # 1533: http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/8/7/8/3878.1109737260.jpg (can't link to it, file's too big, and it's copyrighted as well). That picture show it in it's glory days, back when it still had it's "circus train" paint job.

Shortly after the problem with the volunteers, the new owners repainted 1533 in a black & white scheme. It was supposed to get overhauled after NH&I 40 was. As memory serves, the overhaul had actually started, circa 1976. But the gentleman who was overseeing it had a heart attack... and never returned. The project was halted & eventually abandoned. Today, 1533 sits (as it has for almost 40 years) behind the NH&I engine house, rusting away, half dis-assembled. It's tender is located on a "dead car" track that extends behind the engine house, where there are at least two other steam locomotives (former US Army switchers) also left to rot. A real shame. Picture of it (as of 2007) here: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1300598

The other steam locomotive during my time there was #40. It had just been rebuilt & restored, and returned to service; for a time, 40 & 1533 shared duties (I have a photo somewhere showing the two during a Christmas excursion (had to be December 1974 or 75), running full steam. You can't tell, but that's my brother standing on top of one of them, doing something). Word is that 40 is or was, once again, undergoing overhaul and may return to service... see http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,2499666 for more on that, and some more pictures as well. (1533 got a coat of paint? It's a start, but it needs more than that...)

I'm pretty sure I've posted a picture of 40 in it's inaugural run after that rebuild previously on the site. I can edit it in here tonight if I can't find it again. In the meantime, here's a link to a picture of it in action... http://www.trainweb.org/railpix/miscpix/DCP_2732-nhil40-w1-4-6-02.jpg (another file to large to link to)

One other engine of note was the NH&I 57. It wasn't actually owned by the railroad, but by the volunteers group. So when they had their breakup with the McHughs, 57 went with them across the river to the BR&W. Here's a link to it after the move happened (hey! this one works!)
11517

W3WN

01-24-2014, 07:06 PM

Ah, here it is...
11519
Sorry about the quality. This is from a scan I made of a photo I took with a little dinky Kodak Instamatic -- remember the 126 film cartridges? -- and the original photo was taken & printed in 1974, if memory serves. (All things considered, I'm surprised to this day it came out as good as it did) On top of that, the original photo was a 4x4 square, but I could never convince anyone to reprint the damn thing as a square. THIS scan is from a copy made in the mid-1980's, as a 5x7. I really wish they hadn't cropped it...

The shot was taken on the "main line" of the NH&I, southbound from New Hope towards Lahaska PA. The train had just crossed the so-called Perils of Pauline railroad bridge... want to guess what silent movie serials were shot on it? Anyway, this was the inaugural run of the engine after a complete rebuild & refurbishment. Looked good, too, back in the day.

Oh, and as far as the early post goes... I'm actually surprised that the shot of 1533 loaded, the system told me it didn't... yes, the "yard" looked that bleak. What you can't see behind the engine & passenger cars is a narrow road, and on the other side of that road is the Delaware Canal. Complete with (at least at the time) a mule-powered barge trip for the touristas. And yes, it smelled like mules and mule droppings if you got on the canal tow path. Yuck.

kb2vxa

01-25-2014, 12:53 AM

Back behind the NH&I shop is one heck of a junk yard full of stuff so badly deteriorated it's barely recognizable. One day while just hanging around the New Hope-Lahaska shuttle was sitting in the station, I was checking out No40, "The Mexican" with air compressor chuffing away, then I heard a low hum. Hmmm. I walked around to the side away from the station and there they were, home air conditioners in the windows powered by small portable generators in the battery boxes. Sorry fans, for the longest time I couldn't stop laughing.

Besides The Mexican and a Diesel switcher on the other end (no way to turn around) they have a great looking Geep that hauls the dinner train on a MUCH longer run to Warminster where incidentally the NH&I hooks up with another railroad's mainline (forgot which one) which is how trains get to and from the NH&I. Going the other way past Lahaska the track goes quite a few miles to... my annoying CRS strikes again. Up that way is where I think they keep the Diesels, maybe somebody can fill in the blanks in my head

Another time I saw Ross Rowland's C&O 614 being restored in New Hopeless, a couple of years later I saw it under steam at the NJ Tri Transit Exhibition in Lackawana Terminal at Hoboken, NJ with a line of kids climbing stairs into the cab and blowing the whistle, I joined them. In between times she made the round trip to Port Jervis NY where she was turned on the turntable barely freed from years of rust and dragged around by a bulldozer that tore up the ground, what a sight! BTW, before the roundhouse roof fell in at the B&O Museum in Baltimore there was a CNJ Camelback sitting on the turntable I easily turned with one finger. Now after a failed attempt to bring ridiculously rich folk from Washington Union Station to the Greenbriar Resort near White Sulfur Springs, WVA the grand old dame painted in Presidential Express puke green languishes at the C&O Heritage Center in Clifton Forge, VA. Steam lovers, you don't want to see such a pitiful sight, here she is in better days at Port Jervis.

N8YX

01-25-2014, 07:16 AM

Here's a shot of the George Washington - my mother and I took this train to Washington, DC in 1966 for a meetup with my aunt, who lived there.

11526

And though the details are blurred by time...in 1968, my elementary school arranged a field trip for some of the pupils to take a passenger train trip from Akron to Rittman, along trackage which at the time was owned by Erie Lackawanna. (That line was acquired by Conrail during the merger, abandoned in the early 80s and sold to the ABB RR after being single-tracked.)

Our teachers must have shown forethought - we were among the last people to ever ride a passenger train on that sub, as all EL passenger operations were discontinued shortly thereafter.

I wish I had taken a camera along to record things but I was too busy checking out the machinery to care. This pic is representative and our head end unit may or may not have been wearing EL colors. I distinctly remember the two red cars immediately behind the engines, though.

11527

kb2vxa

01-25-2014, 11:50 AM

A little late but better than never re NH re LIRR:
"Wow. Those are beauties. I didn't know they ran any steam at all that late."
Oh noes, the caption reads "The last steam engine to run on the Long Island RR, at Jamaica, NY, fan trip in 1967. That locomotive is the Black River & Western #60 based in Flemington NJ." How could you miss that? The LIRR itself discontinued steam years before but the BR&W didn't, in addition to being a tourist attraction they use their steamers to haul revenue freight, they being a short line. I don't recall the reason offhand but some time back they discontinued running between Ringoes and Lambertville some time after the volunteers on the NH&I across the river quit in protest over new management conditions and took their BR&W locomotives with them. Now they can't throw rocks at the NH&I, oh well.

A couple of things about the old PRR, I remember vividly why they were called the rock and roll railroad. Once in a while aboard an MP-54 EMU I'd stand in the open vestibule doorway in the head car talking to the engineer. Starting was scary enough with traction motors groaning under 25Hz current and everything rattling and jingling like those old 1913 beasts were about to fall apart, but when we got up to track speed things quieted down and the really scary stuff started. They'd rock and roll all over the place and hold on tight going around a curve, they'd lean over and if Ozzy was around they'd be his inspiration for Crazy Train!

The other is the famous GG-1 wasn't the first of Lowey's designs, he went through several and some made it into service, then they disappeared when Old Rivets No4800 showed up pretty close to those that went before. Before then they had quite a few different model electrics that left the rails before I became old enough for my parental units to release me from my prison and I started hanging around the tracks. Still I saw several different ones besides the Gs and MPs, there were EL34s and 35s hauling freight, Diesel road switchers serving factories along the way and the occasional Baldwin "shark nose" passenger Diesel normally running between So. Amboy and Bay Head on the Coast Line that got lost up north.

W3WN

01-25-2014, 12:08 PM

< snip >
I don't recall the reason offhand but some time back they discontinued running between Ringoes and Lambertville some time after the volunteers on the NH&I across the river quit in protest over new management conditions and took their BR&W locomotives with them. Now they can't throw rocks at the NH&I, oh well.
< snip >I do; I was there. But you've got it backwards.

The NH&I was acquired by a company called McHugh Brothers. One of the owners of the company had been one of the volunteers. Anyway, after the company took over, there was a lot of friction between the volunteers & the new ownership. Jimmy McHugh wanted to do things his way, and the hell with anyone else.

The bulk of the volunteers got fed up. A lot of them were also involved with the BR&W, and Jimmy McHugh wasn't getting along with the Black River gang as well. (*)

So when push came to shove... the volunteers quit en masse. And they took their toys with them. That included two key items: Diesel #57, owned by the volunteers, not the NH&I (used during the week to haul freight from the old Reading RR -- that's what the NH&I connected to in Ivyland -- to & from the paper mill that was adjacent to the RR in New Hope, long closed now); and Brill Doodlebug (ex PRR) #4666, owned by a small group known as the Historical Equipment Association (chief owner & operator was Hugh Jenkins, who was a Reading engineer; really great guy, but massively overweight, and he used to tell us stories about his hookers... really...)

The very small group that had been on Jimmy McHugh's side stayed, but they had a rough time for a few weeks (being vastly undermanned). Some new diesels showed up afterwards, labeled McHugh Brothers. 1533 & 40 both got painted black with white trim, and both got named after members of the McHugh family (wives or sisters, I don't recall which now).

I wasn't involved at that point with the volunteers, having dropped out right before the walk-out. But my younger brother was, so we heard all about it, filtered through the ears of a 15 year old. After the walk-out, I got drafted into driving David too & from the BR&W most weekends and summer days.

(*) My senior year in High School, I interviewed for a possible scholarship with the Engineers Club of Trenton, arranged by my dad, who knew some people. (I didn't get one from them). One of the interviewers saw that I'd been involved with the NH&I volunteers, and I remember him asking me what Jimmy McHugh was like. I still remember him asking me, so help me, "is he still an asshole?" and the other interviewers chuckling. So you might say that the guy had a reputation...

W3WN

01-25-2014, 12:18 PM

By the way, does anyone here know why most of Interstate 80 across New Jersey is (relatively) straight & level?

NJDOT bought the right-of-way from the Erie Lackawanna after the merger of the Erie RR and the Delaware Lackawanna & Western. The two main lines basically paralleled each other; after the merger, they only needed one set of tracks.

n0iu

01-25-2014, 02:15 PM

There's two, there's four, there's six, there's eight....

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/06/18/business/19thomas-600.jpg

This will definitely cause confusion and delay!

http://static2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121106130558/ttte/images/2/24/WhistlesandSneezes5.png

W2NAP

01-25-2014, 04:41 PM

http://madisonrails.railfan.net/ lots of good pics and history for the local rail around here

kb2vxa

01-25-2014, 09:54 PM

Sir Toppum Hat gets upset with Thomas sometimes. (;->) OK, not exactly backwards, I just thought the toys that crossed the river (once they learned how to swim) were owned by the BR&W. So, what happened to the doodlebug? The answer to why most of I80 is straight and level is it can be used as a runway for those huge military jet transports. In fact the entire interstate system like the first one Eisenhower built is for movement of heavy military vehicles and tanks. Someday I'll tell you how an underground missile base was built in Watchung next to I78 when it was being built right under everybody's noses except mine. Remember the Nike base in Summit? Well, we got a new one now.

W3WN

01-25-2014, 11:38 PM

The Doodlebug, as far as I know, is still on the BR&W. I know that Huey passed away, many years ago; I've heard that BR&W officially acquired the 4666 from HEA afterwards, but I've also heard that they didn't. I'm not really sure.

Anyway, last I heard was that the 4666 was in private hands again and being restored. I know that there were some concerns about cracks in the frame, and the engines needed overhaul. Hopefully those are all being addressed.

We're looking at possible vacationing on the Jersey shore next summer, instead of the usual OCMD. If that happens, I'm going to make a point of visiting both railroads at some point and see what they're like now.

N8YX

01-26-2014, 07:53 AM

Here's one to make Ron (and all the other PRR fans) cringe - a GG1 deadline being pulled to the scrappers. The location of this shot is roughly 25mi NE of me - the Kent, Ohio area. I wish I had had the means to travel to the various PRR/EL/PC trackage in the area during the time it was operational...almost all of those lines have been removed. Maybe a good thing, as we're slowly getting bike trails from the abandonments.

11533

http://thecrhs.org/?q=Images/CR-6427-SD40-2-Kent-04-79

W3WN

01-26-2014, 11:27 AM

Cringe is right. At least a few of the GG-1's have survived.

Even so, IIRC, the voltage used on the lines has changed, so the GG-1's wouldn't be able to run today without a major overhaul/rebuild, one that would not be cost-effective.

kb2vxa

01-26-2014, 12:15 PM

Well Ron, the BR&W and the NH&I are completely across the state from the Jersey Shore, but you can go boating and swimming in the Delaware River. (;->)

That's one hell of a lot of Geeps for the Gs headed for the scrapper's torch, unless some of those oldies were going to the same place. SOP is placing helpers in the train and on the hind end to reduce strain on the couplers. Of course they made it part way without the hoppers, no reason why the air brakes weren't working. They SURE DID take the long way around from the dead line in the South Amboy, NJ engine yard. I don't know where the picture of it a friend's son took (they're both railfans) got off to or I'd post it.

Back in the day, once in a while when the railroad bulls were sleeping I'd hop up in the cabs playing engineer. The G sat silent and cold, but if the engineer didn't take the brake handle (also the dead man switch) as per SOP I had a clear track ahead........
The E and F units were another story, the hum of the idling prime mover and vibration of the footplate gave a sense of realism. A friend made me jealous, he just didn't get an occasional cab ride like I did, the engineer of a switcher shuttling cars on local factory sidings let him operate. Now THAT'S what I'm talking about, railroads were a LOT more fan friendly before 9-11 made them paranoid putting spotters all over the place and engineers in fear of losing their jobs.

Of course there are a few Gs kicking around in museums, those outdoors somehow get neglected and they're in pretty sad shape rusting away with paint streaks down the sides. Last I saw NJT has two, one Big Red at the Hoboken engine shop just down the tracks in sight of Lackawanna Terminal that had to be dragged out with journal boxes frozen to clear the bay for work. That must have been pretty hard on the rails, worse than rail hammer that stopped steam excursions on Class 1 railroads' RoW. The other in black with yellow pinstripe is on a siding out in the woods at at an "undisclosed location", I don't want to lead vandals to it.

On edit because WN jumped in while I was typing, that's not the reason why one can't haul a fan excursion. Amtrak's NEC and Harrisburg, PA lines still use 11KV 25Hz catenary power, changing everything in the system to 25KV 60Hz from city mains like NJT between South Amboy and Long Branch (from there to Bay Head is Diesel because they ran out of money) would not be cost effective. The reason is so much of the deteriorated control circuitry and wiring would have to be replaced the costs in money and manpower is unaffordable by any owner. FYI, many a rich railfan had to sell his steam locomotive because they're money pits and they just ran out of funds to operate them.

N8YX

01-26-2014, 01:23 PM

This shot is of the Akron-Barberton Cluster Rwy, formerly the Akron Barberton Belt. The station house is former Erie RR, and the single track is all that remains of EL's Hoboken to Chicago twin-tracked main (thank you Conrail). We live about 1mi NE of the station, on a line from the engine to the station.

11534

Fuel costs westbound from this point were considerable due to the 1.5% grade and may have had a lot to do with Conrail abandoning it when the line was acquired by them in 1976. B&O found it cheaper - fuel-wise - to run their trackage all the way to Warwick (Clinton), through a swamp then northwest into Rittman, where the lines converged.

There has been some talk by CSX regarding buying the ABC right-of-way for use in routing traffic - either outright (and allowing ABC running rights) or constructing a new line on the former eastbound portion of the property. The only single track in the entire New Castle Sub runs from roughly a mile north of me into Clinton and is viewed to be a big traffic bottleneck by CSX operations. Thus, the search for a fuel-efficient alternative route for eastbound trains.

N8YX

01-26-2014, 01:43 PM

The same engine in pre-W&LE livery and I think this photo was taken near the location of the previous one:

11535

W3WN

01-26-2014, 02:01 PM

Well Ron, the BR&W and the NH&I are completely across the state from the Jersey Shore, but you can go boating and swimming in the Delaware River. (;->)
< snip > No sh!t, Sherlock. About 45 minutes to an hour, depending on exactly where on the shore and what roads you take across.

However, my mom is still in West Trenton (less than a half hour from Flemington), and we would be paying her a visit. Trust me when I say that we'd still have plenty of time to visit both roads.

That said... only a damn fool would swim in that part of the Delaware River. And it only get worse as you get near the Port of Philadelphia and into Delaware Bay.

I may be a fool, but I sure and shootin' hope I'm not a damn fool! :snooty:

W3WN

01-26-2014, 02:03 PM

The same engine in pre-W&LE livery and I think this photo was taken near the location of the previous one:
< snip > You had me do a double take the first time I saw that photo. Does the W&LE own/control the A-BC?

N2NH

01-26-2014, 03:20 PM

There are some relatively unknown Railroads in Brooklyn. Most are involved in car float operations, where freight cars are loaded on barges to go to New Jersey. The South Brooklyn Rwy also made local deliveries for awhile. It's tracks went from 39th St and the Upper New York Bay across to McDonald Ave where it ran under the Elevated line all the way to Coney Island. From the 90s on, it mostly delivers new subway cars to the New York Subway, but there is a grade crossing at 3rd Ave and 38th St where it joins the subway. Last I saw, they were mostly running old GE 47 ton switchers. In the 80s, I saw at least an accident every other month when I commuted via bus thru there. NYC drivers aren't used to seeing trains on their streets.

http://i41.tinypic.com/j5v2ow.jpg

Then there is the New York Dock Railway which is also in Brooklyn.

http://i41.tinypic.com/2wfu63r.jpg

http://www.panynj.gov/photo/port/inland_access_sm.jpg

http://i40.tinypic.com/2mdowu0.jpg

N2NH

01-26-2014, 03:28 PM

Ah, here it is...

Sorry about the quality...

For an old Instamatic, that's not bad at all. If you resize the picture, sometimes it helps with the graininess. In fact, it gives it a nice effect IMHO.

http://i44.tinypic.com/11ttyeq.jpg

A very nice shot in any case.

N8YX

01-26-2014, 03:49 PM

You had me do a double take the first time I saw that photo. Does the W&LE own/control the A-BC?

Yep - ABB was sold to W&LE in 1994 and they've allowed it to operate somewhat independently since.

WØTKX

01-26-2014, 03:54 PM

Colorado has some interesting RR history. Boreas Pass was the main way to get into Breckenridge during it's mining boom.

This rotary plow engine is on display at the parking lot I used to use every day... Reminds me a bit of the sand worms in Dune. ;)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7842255986_725fa33de4_o.jpg

kb2vxa

01-26-2014, 04:57 PM

The first shot of the ABC loco sure looks better than the second, that one reminds me of a pink taco.

Those relatively unknown dock railroads around the Hudson and NY Harbor are mostly gone. Naturally there are a couple left in Brooklyn, such a tough neighborhood fights off all comers including Father Time. I have a few fuzzy B&W photos of them in the old days floating around. Speaking of docks, here's Robert Blake, the Admiral, not Beretta.

"Reminds me a bit of the sand worms in Dune."
He who controls the snow controls the railroad and what Piter did not tell you is we have control of someone who is very close, very close, to Evergreen, Colorado.

W3WN

01-26-2014, 08:07 PM

W3WN

01-26-2014, 08:12 PM

Here's another shot of NH&I 40 in action... I didn't note when I took this one...
11540

N2NH

01-26-2014, 10:38 PM

Finally got the new 1 THz drive in this computer, and moved my photos over from the old XP machine. Including a few rail scans.

Both of these are my own photos, and they're both from the NH&I "Santa Claus Special" December 1974... again, with the Instamatic. (I hope they scale correctly this time, I have to figure out how to do that!

1153811539
Two things of note in the second picture... one is NH&I 40 behind the 1533. This was just before it was overhauled; prior to that, it sat on display by the station, and had a lot of kids climbing over it. The second... the person in the brown jacket looking up at the engineer? That's my brother.

All great shots. There are two easy ways to scale the pics down.

1) Use MS Paint. Open it up, go to resize at the top and click, it will give you the option of scaling down (or up) as a percentage or in pixels. Change to pixels so you have more control over the size. If you don't like the results, click the left turning arrow on top to undo, if you like it, "save as" to disk in any of the formats you want. Then upload here.

2) Tinypic.com is a image-sharing site. When you upload there, you can specify any of a half dozen sizes before it does it's thing. Probably need to do a capcha then voila, pic with the [ IMG][/IMG ] tags already on it to post here.

I tend to scale between 350 and 500 pixels so as to not tax the Island server myself but YMMV.

NQ6U

01-26-2014, 10:51 PM

Here's one of a certain major religious figure working as a fireman on a steam locomotive at the Portola (California) Railroad Museum. Sorry about the bad hair cut.

http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/zz79/gyrogeerloose/portola01.jpg

By the way, 20+ years after this photo was taken, this same loco was used in the movie Water For Elephants.

NA4BH

01-26-2014, 10:52 PM

Dude in the orange shirt is a dork.

NQ6U

01-26-2014, 10:59 PM

Dude in the orange shirt is a dork.

A major dork, an adult who still plays with trains, has a really bad haircut and a stupid-looking mustache. I'm glad I'm not him.

Oh, wait...

NA4BH

01-26-2014, 11:03 PM

I'm sorry, I thought it was Mario.

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/About/General/2011/11/14/1321296191570/Super-Mario-no-longer-the-007.jpg

K7SGJ

01-26-2014, 11:03 PM

NA4BH

01-26-2014, 11:06 PM

Did it get gray, too?

He can't remember. Referring to the water/elephant theory.

If you were as smart as me, you'd know what I'm talking about.

kb2vxa

01-26-2014, 11:31 PM

Re NH:
"There are two easy ways to scale the pics down."
Make that three with the third being the most versatile image editor I ever had, IRFanview, and it's free. http://www.irfanview.com/ That strange icon BTW is a splat cat, second cousin to a sail rabbit.

N2NH

01-27-2014, 02:05 AM

Here's one of a certain major religious figure working as a fireman on a steam locomotive at the Portola (California) Railroad Museum.

The Dalai Lama?

W3WN

01-27-2014, 07:59 AM

All great shots. There are two easy ways to scale the pics down.

1) Use MS Paint. Open it up, go to resize at the top and click, it will give you the option of scaling down (or up) as a percentage or in pixels. Change to pixels so you have more control over the size. If you don't like the results, click the left turning arrow on top to undo, if you like it, "save as" to disk in any of the formats you want. Then upload here.

2) Tinypic.com is a image-sharing site. When you upload there, you can specify any of a half dozen sizes before it does it's thing. Probably need to do a capcha then voila, pic with the [ IMG][/IMG ] tags already on it to post here.

I tend to scale between 350 and 500 pixels so as to not tax the Island server myself but YMMV.I use PAINT.NET, another good program.

However, by "scale" I meant how the photos show up once posted on the site. I may just have to make them smaller in the first place.

N2NH

01-27-2014, 07:29 PM

I use PAINT.NET, another good program.

However, by "scale" I meant how the photos show up once posted on the site. I may just have to make them smaller in the first place.

Ah, didn't know about that one, I'll give it a try thanks.

And Warren, thanks for that program. I've been experimenting with it. It's pretty detailed. Splat? Sailcat.

Meanwhile on the New York, Westchester and Boston in Baychester, Bronx, NYC, now the NY Subways Dyre Ave. Line...

http://i43.tinypic.com/90aiiw.jpg

Then NYC-Transit Authority got it. The subway in the center is almost lost in the huge space of the ex-railroad line.

http://i39.tinypic.com/10ymjxu.jpg

WØTKX

01-27-2014, 07:37 PM

Make that three with the third being the most versatile image editor I ever had, IRFanview, and it's free. http://www.irfanview.com/

IrfanView FTW! I use Gimp for the "hard stuff".

W3WN

01-28-2014, 12:41 PM

Here's something interesting... the Union Pacific traded a diesel engine & some other cars to a museum, in a trade to get "Big Boy" 4014 back.

Why? They're going to restore it (as an oil burner, though, not a coal burner) and put it back on the rails!!

http://www.up.com/aboutup/special_trains/steam/photos_videos/bigboy/index.shtml
http://www.up.com/aboutup/special_trains/steam/locomotives/4014.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pacific_4014
http://news.yahoo.com/big-boy-locomotive-begins-california-farewell-tour-193612367.html

NQ6U

01-28-2014, 01:07 PM

Here's something interesting... the Union Pacific traded a diesel engine & some other cars to a museum, in a trade to get "Big Boy" 4014 back.

Why? They're going to restore it (as an oil burner, though, not a coal burner) and put it back on the rails!!

I'd love to see that big old bastard on the rails! There's a Southern Pacific 4-8-8-2 Cab Forward on static display at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento and that thing is awesome in the true sense of the word but static display is nothing like seeing a steam locomotive in motion.

http://www.rapidotrains.com/images/blog/20110707-4.jpg

W9JEF

01-28-2014, 03:34 PM

I'd love to see that big old bastard on the rails! There's a Southern Pacific 4-8-8-2 Cab Forward on static display at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento and that thing is awesome in the true sense of the word but static display is nothing like seeing a steam locomotive in motion.

http://www.rapidotrains.com/images/blog/20110707-4.jpg

And there's nothing like riding in the cabin of one of these
for a new perspective on the streets of town.
My Grandpa was a RR yard super, and he once
put my brother and I in the locomotive,
and picked us up at the other end of the run.

http://www.greenbayroute.com/1940255.jpg

N2NH

01-29-2014, 08:28 AM

Here's something interesting... the Union Pacific traded a diesel engine & some other cars to a museum, in a trade to get "Big Boy" 4014 back.

Why? They're going to restore it (as an oil burner, though, not a coal burner) and put it back on the rails!!

Great news. I would love to see one running at full steam.

I've always been a NYC Niagara fan (4-8-4) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NYC_Niagara). They were numbered starting at 6000 for the horsepower they had. They actually had 6,700 and were among the last steam engines built. I checked and the Big Boy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UP_Big_Boy) had nearly the same horsepower. Both are very powerful engines, but there are no more Niagara left as they have all been scrapped.

Unlike the Big Boy, the Niagara could carry less water as 'pans' between the tracks were used to refill the tender on the fly at 60 MPH (100 Km/H). The Niagara also didn't have to climb the Rocky Mountains. The NYC route is among the most level in the country.

The Big Boy was the largest steam engine ever built and it's a great achievement that UP could run them at sustained speeds of 60 MPH. Their lenght was 132 ft 9 1⁄4 in (40.47 m) with tender.

The Niagara (Alco) was one of the most efficient steam engines and used some technology from the UP F-E-F Northerns. They ran at sustained speeds of up to 80 MPH. They were 115 ft 5 1⁄2 in (35.19 m) long. The Niagara had less than half the tractive effort of the Big Boy.

Pictures not to scale.
UP Big Boy 4-8-8-4 Articulated
11549

NYC Niagara 4-8-4
11550

kb2vxa

01-29-2014, 10:44 AM

Well now, why do you think Big Boy had so many drivers and was so heavy? (;->) Oil burner huh, sooty oil smoke stinks like hell! I love the smell of coal smoke in the morning, smells like railroad. Logically UP is considering operating costs, with the price of coal these days and that beast eats it like candy #5 fuel oil is a lot cheaper.

They did the same thing with 3895, one of two Alco Challenger Class locos still in existence, the other is on static display in North Platte, Nebraska. The Challenger was created using ideas they got from Big Boy, only this one was able to haul the same tonnage over the same routes without helpers as seen with a double header Big Boy teamed up with a Northern Class 4-8-4 here.

HUGH

01-29-2014, 12:47 PM

NQ6U

01-29-2014, 02:48 PM

It looks a long way from coal tender to firebox or am I missing something? You'll probably tell me it's oil-fired!
Last time I was fireman it was just a careful swing from tender to fire until someone stepped in the way then the gloves came in handy for picking coal up from the cab floor.

Either oil fired or it had an automatic coal stoker. No way a guy with a shovel could keep up with the fuel demands of one of those big fellows.

Here's a page from the Web site of our local RR museum about stokers. (http://www.sdrm.org/faqs/boilers/page120.html)

N2NH

01-29-2014, 04:33 PM

Either oil fired or it had an automatic coal stoker. No way a guy with a shovel could keep up with the fuel demands of one of those big fellows.

Here's a page from the Web site of our local RR museum about stokers. (http://www.sdrm.org/faqs/boilers/page120.html)

Excellent page. I never saw it explained fully like that. The Big Boy does use oil fuel, but the Niagara used coal. Both were automatically stoked.

kb2vxa

01-29-2014, 05:40 PM

You missed something a few posts back, the Big Boy was coal fired and had an automatic stoker because only Superman could keep up with the demand of that hungry beast. The one being readied to run excursion service is being converted to oil because coal in such quantity is simply too expensive. I was up in the cab of the one at the B&O museum in Baltimore, they have a lamp in the firebox. It's so huge the Boy Scouts could hold a Camporee in there!

N8YX

01-30-2014, 06:29 AM

The Niagara (Alco) was one of the most efficient steam engines and used some technology from the UP F-E-F Northerns. They ran at sustained speeds of up to 80 MPH. They were 115 ft 5 1⁄2 in (35.19 m) long. The Niagara had less than half the tractive effort of the Big Boy.
Chapelon's 242A1 prototype http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compound_locomotive#cite_note-chapelon.net-15 may or may not have been more efficient, but it was never placed into production.

The ultra water-miser award goes to the Type 25 Condenser locomotives, as used in Africa:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Class_25_4-8-4

Note the condensing tender:

11561

Check a Youtube video of one of these engines in motion. They're eerily silent.

NQ6U

01-30-2014, 10:39 AM

Check a Youtube video of one of these engines in motion. They're eerily silent.

At low speeds, even conventional steam locos are surprisingly silent. This one sneaked up on me at the CA State Rail Museum's 20th Anniversary party back in the early 90s. I didn't even know it was behind me until someone called my attention to it.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/Union_Pacific_844%2C_Painted_Rocks%2C_NV%2C_2009_% 28crop%29.jpg/800px-Union_Pacific_844%2C_Painted_Rocks%2C_NV%2C_2009_% 28crop%29.jpg

kb2vxa

01-30-2014, 12:46 PM

That reminds me of a You Tube video I wish I could find not knowing the title. A fan in the UK was shooting the passage of the A1 Locomotive Trust 60163 Tornado A1 Pacific Class 4-6-2 they built from the ground up to represent the missing piece in the A series, all the A1s having gone to scrap. He was a little too wrapped up in his work standing on the edge of the far platform when he was nearly struck by a modern train speeding up behind him. He wobbled away with this "Wot jus hoppin mate?" look on his face, PRICELESS!

Then there's this http://4umf.com/woman-crashes-stolen-train-into-building/ those of you with a sick sense of humor like mine will have to swallow your coffee before reading. Those who don't will spray when you get to what she was charged with.

N2NH

02-04-2014, 07:22 AM

Sharknose Diesel
http://i60.tinypic.com/mhsm7o.jpg

PA-1
http://i59.tinypic.com/2eb92qx.jpg

http://i59.tinypic.com/2ihy2dz.jpg

N8YX

02-05-2014, 05:06 AM

No, it's not John Fogerty & crew...rather, the Cleveland Commercial Railroad. I work in an area that's near the southern terminus of their route and is an interchange point for traffic bound for the W&LE. A road which the CCR has been leasing motive power from, it seems...

11599

kb2vxa

02-05-2014, 07:20 AM

It won't be long before summer's here and it's time for dancing in the street..........

Besides rocking to Martha and the Vandals it'll be time for fishing, crabbing, (what I do mostly here on the Island) swimming and relaxing in the sun missing WABC in the 60s reminding us it's time to turn so we don't burn. Others will be photographing trains like this New Jersey Transit Alstom PL42AC pulling a string of Bombardier coaches on the North Jersey Coast Line over the Manasquan River headed south to Bay Head. There it'll loop around the yard and head back north either to Long Branch where it will meet an electric headed to New York Penn and push back to Bay head if it's the shuttle or go to Lackawanna Terminal in Hoboken where it will push back to Bay Head. Too bad the CNJ went under, at the back end of the yard where the loop is now there was the Bay Head Junction station at the wye where the Pennsylvania connected and you could take the train down to Atlantic City. Now to get there you have to take a big dog leg detour on the Trenton Main to Philadelphia and take SEPTA back across the state which means from here you have to go all the way north to Rahway, switch trains and head south again!

I sure miss the days back in Rahway when I could hop a train to Bay Head, then the jitney to Seaside Heights, spend the weekend and come back home again for ten bucks. Before that the tracks went to Seaside but now in their place is half of divided Rte. 35 and a bunch of houses along the 2 lane portion, the terminal is a parking lot. Then that was before Seaside became Sleazeside and even Sandy didn't make an improvement, Jersey Strong applies to all the wrong people.

On edit:
In the background is the unmanned 300 foot USCG Rescue 21 tower and radio equipment shelters at the base. Across the river out of view is Boat Station Manasquan.
http://www.uscg.mil/acquisition/newsroom/feature/rescue21delawarebay.asp

N2CHX

02-05-2014, 08:46 AM

Great pics. I swoon over steam :yes:

...and the cat-nose diesels (as I have called them since I was probably three) are neat too.

Also, as far as image editing, I use GIMP exclusively. Free and as good as photoshop AFAIC.

N2CHX

02-05-2014, 08:47 AM

W2NAP

02-05-2014, 10:50 AM

N2CHX

02-05-2014, 01:13 PM

wot, no pics?

I was late for work and it's Broadway. Four lanes, no turning lane and no shoulder. Believe me, I'd like to take pics along there a lot. There are often very interesting trains parked there.

W3WN

02-05-2014, 04:23 PM

Sharknose Diesel
http://i60.tinypic.com/mhsm7o.jpg

PA-1
http://i59.tinypic.com/2eb92qx.jpg

http://i59.tinypic.com/2ihy2dz.jpgYou know, even if they're no longer in D&H colors, I was glad to learn that the four PA-4's are still around and avoided the scrap yard, as did at least one of the Baldwin Sharknoses.

I was sorry to learn that the D&H itself has been merged out of existence. Pity.

VE7DCW

02-05-2014, 07:05 PM

BTW, every morning on my way to work I drive along Broadway into the city, which parallels the CSX main line and Frontier rail yard. This morning I saw a blue engine that had "ICE" on the front in white letters. The weather was cold and crappy this morning and the cars all had snow all over them, so I thought that was appropriate.

"ICE" of course stands for the Iowa Chicago and Eastern which became a subsidiary company when they were purchased by the mighty Canadian Pacific Railway in 2008.That was Proceeded by the CPR buying up the Dakota Minnesota and Eastern Railroad the year before.It's actually shocking to see how much money Canadian Pacific has in throwing around buying up U.S. railroads! The joke is if you see a red Canadian Pacific locomotive leading a freight consist on your railroads today......Canadian Pacific will own it tomorrow!

Been seeing any Canadian Pacific locomotives on your railroads lately? :mrgreen:

N2CHX

02-05-2014, 08:14 PM

"ICE" of course stands for the Iowa Chicago and Eastern which became a subsidiary company when they were purchased by the mighty Canadian Pacific Railway in 2008.That was Proceeded by the CPR buying up the Dakota Minnesota and Eastern Railroad the year before.It's actually shocking to see how much money Canadian Pacific has in throwing around buying up U.S. railroads! The joke is if you see a red Canadian Pacific locomotive leading a freight consist on your railroads today......Canadian Pacific will own it tomorrow!

Been seeing any Canadian Pacific locomotives on your railroads lately? :mrgreen:

The second engine in that train was a CP. I see them all the time. In fact, it was a CP train that my son and I rode on 15 years ago. (I'll tell the story if I haven't already).

And yup, I saw the Iowa, Chicago and Eastern logo on the side when I was on my way home. Yes, it was still parked. I would have stopped and snapped a pic if the weather had been better.

n2ize

02-05-2014, 08:59 PM

I have little interest in Loco's, steam or deisel. But, show me a NYC subway train and that is what I call a railroad.

kb2vxa

02-06-2014, 01:12 AM

Right, CP owns half the trackage in the US and their locomotives are mixed with others all over the place. N de M locomotives are all over the Southwest too. I don't see any CP around here, not on New Jersey Transit, but Metrolink must have run out of locomotives. When you see RB Recycling pulling one of their trains you begin to wonder, then you realize Californucation is the land of fruits and nuts so anything can happen and usually does.

VE7DCW

02-06-2014, 02:09 AM

Canadian Pacific is a big,big company! Their annual company profits totals several billion dollars.....they're such a big company,that when they were pegged as subcontracting out crude oil tanker car transport to the Montreal Maine and Atlantic railroad and that gigantic derailment and total barbecue of the town of Lac Megantic, CP was named in the lawsuit brought down by the province of Quebec for all environmental and other incidental damage brought on by this disaster.
CP was so arrogant in their response by saying they were'nt responsible and they were not going to pay!:wtf:

The suit is approaching the 75 million dollar mark at present :shock:

N2NH

02-06-2014, 02:30 AM

I have little interest in Loco's, steam or deisel. But, show me a NYC subway train and that is what I call a railroad.

That's actually traction. You might want to look up the Electric Railroaders Association (http://erausa.org/trips-and-events/2014/04-05.html). This is their monthly magazine. (http://erausa.org/bulletin/2014/)

11612

N2NH

02-06-2014, 02:43 AM

You know, even if they're no longer in D&H colors, I was glad to learn that the four PA-4's are still around and avoided the scrap yard, as did at least one of the Baldwin Sharknoses.

I was sorry to learn that the D&H itself has been merged out of existence. Pity.

Yes it is. On the way to Montreal in 1987, The Adirondack was delayed just past Albany. We didn't know why, until a short PA-4 led passenger train pulled in across the platform. Must've been one of their last passenger runs. Looked just like the PA in the pics. We were waiting because they were headed southbound on the one track line... That was the only time I ever saw the Blue "Warbonnet"(?) scheme in person.

New York Central Streamlined Hudsons.

The Commodore Vanderbuilt (looking like a lot of British Streamliners)
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Olyp63AiyYQ/Ul11_C6dLfI/AAAAAAAAH2c/1SR3C69Eths/s400/Slide26.JPG

Dreyfuss 20th Century Hudson (1938 )
http://farm8.static.flickr.com/7042/6834844328_d87689f7eb.jpg

Empire State Express Hudson
http://www.toytrains1.com/images/trains/nyc_5429.jpg

http://i59.tinypic.com/rjjri9.jpg

N8YX

02-06-2014, 05:05 AM

Needs more S1, T1 and all-around PRR goodness:

11613

11614

11615

W3WN

02-06-2014, 08:30 AM

I have little interest in Loco's, steam or deisel. But, show me a NYC subway train and that is what I call a railroad.Then you should plan on attending the WACOM Hamfest at the Washington County Fairgrounds next November.

"Why?" you ask? (Left Field)

Right next door to the fairgrounds... and the actual buildings the hamfest rents... is the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. http://pa-trolley.org/ Lots of traction equipment there, and a good bit of it actually runs. Quite a few local hams involved with the organization as well.

N2CHX

02-06-2014, 08:33 AM

OK, so that train was still sitting there this morning. I managed to snap a bad pic as I went by. It's #6424, City Of Sheldon.

11617

n2ize

02-06-2014, 10:02 AM

Then you should plan on attending the WACOM Hamfest at the Washington County Fairgrounds next November.

"Why?" you ask? (Left Field)

Right next door to the fairgrounds... and the actual buildings the hamfest rents... is the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. http://pa-trolley.org/ Lots of traction equipment there, and a good bit of it actually runs. Quite a few local hams involved with the organization as well.

I would like to check that out. Perhaps I will visit it soon. I also want to visit the NYC transit museum as well. Don't get me wrong I think all railroads are very interesting. But my main interest is in urban transit past and present, i.e. old trolleys, subways and new rolling stock as well.

NQ6U

02-06-2014, 11:02 AM

All three of those PRR streamline locos were designed by Raymond Loewy. He also designed the GG1 and Studebaker Avanti.

W2NAP

02-06-2014, 11:42 AM

I would like to check that out. Perhaps I will visit it soon. I also want to visit the NYC transit museum as well. Don't get me wrong I think all railroads are very interesting. But my main interest is in urban transit past and present, i.e. old trolleys, subways and new rolling stock as well.

http://madisonrails.railfan.net/3_traction.html

N8YX

02-06-2014, 06:35 PM

All three of those PRR streamline locos were designed by Raymond Loewy. He also designed the GG1 and Studebaker Avanti.

A business in my town hosts the national Studebaker Rally every September. I'll try to get some pics of all the Avantis and tubbed bullet-noses in attendance.

N2NH

02-06-2014, 06:47 PM

Love those Pennsy streamliners. Had the S-1 as well as a set of the old MUs in brass in N-Scale. Was a bit too young to see the S-1 (which was at the '39 World's Fair in New York City), but I did see the MUs. One thing, they didn't have air conditioning and the windows were always up in the summer.

X-Rated

02-06-2014, 11:32 PM

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3421/3194342421_12c8a314c8.jpg

I remember seeing this one when I was a kid.

K7SGJ

02-06-2014, 11:37 PM

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3421/3194342421_12c8a314c8.jpg

I remember seeing this one when I was a kid.

Is that one of them Cleveland Steamers I've heard so much about?

X-Rated

02-06-2014, 11:58 PM

If you think so.

W5BRM

02-07-2014, 12:15 AM

I'm not really into railfanning but the only famous train I ever remember seeing was back in the mid 70's. I must have been only 8-9 years old. The Ringling Bro's and Barnum and Bailey Circus train came sailing through my little hamlet. It didnt stop but I remember seeing and waving at all the circus performers as it cruised by.It went slow enough that I could see the folks waving back. I remember my grandpa getting a phonecall and telling me to run up the street and watch the tracks if I wanted to see something special. As I remember, I think they were on thier way to Albany NY from Binghamton area and went right by house. Sadly, I have no pics to share of that event. I ended up seeing the circus live in Madison Sq Garden in '84 as part of my schools annual Yorker Club trip but I didn't see the train that time.